You know, becoming a tennis legend doesn’t happen overnight, right? It takes guts, serious dedication, and someone in your corner to really guide you. Take Novak Djokovic, for example. The guy’s a GOAT! 24 Grand Slams, 99 singles titles… insane! Any coach who’s worked with him, they’re probably pinching themselves. But let’s be real, Djokovic can be… challenging. Goran Ivanisevic, his last coach, knows this better than anyone. He helped Novak win 12 Grand Slams in just five years! Imagine that! But I bet he’s got some stories to tell.

On January 21, Goran joined Daniela Hantuchova on her ‘The Real DNA’ podcast to discuss his 6 years’ experience with Djokovic. He said, “I was lucky, I mean, easier for me because we speak the same language. We’re coming from the same country before, Slavia, so the mentality is the same, we are neighbors. So I understood better his moves is not easy to understand. But you know, at least a little bit and I think he is a genius, he is a genius, perfectionist who wants everything to be 100% every day. What was good today, is not good tomorrow.”

What sets Novak apart is not just his records, but also his passion for improvement. Ivanisevic noted that compared to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Djokovic prioritizes everything—from his game to his fitness and health. He treats his body like a temple, which is why he remains competitive in the sport even at the age of 37. Let’s not forget, on average, professional tennis players retire around the age 27.

When Hantuchova asked what he missed most about working with Djokovic, Goran had a candid response. He said, “I don’t miss, honestly…but okay, yelling, screaming, but in the end I didn’t mind it. You get used to it, you know? It’s nothing personal, it’s a tennis match. You need to get your craziness out of the system, you cannot kill somebody there or hit somebody there so it’s okay, we were there for that. And now he’s much quiet on the court.”

It’s well known that Djokovic has quite a temper on the court; reports indicate he has smashed the most rackets out of the Big Three—62 in total! However, after leaving his team, Goran seems to miss the noise, stating, “Everybody’s quiet”

In the end, Goran doesn’t regret his time with Djokovic. Coaching someone who held the No. 1 ranking for 428 weeks is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now that Djokovic is working with Andy Murray for the 2025 Australian Open and the Brit is likely experiencing a whole new dynamic as he coaches his former rival.

Murray on coaching Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic announced his partnership with Andy Murray in November 2024, seeking a coach who understands his current challenges. Djokovic stated, “I realized the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone who has been through experiences that I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner, former No.1.” With 2 Grand Slam titles and 36 matches against Djokovic, Murray seemed like the ideal match. However, coaching is a new experience for him.

Murray shared with Sky Sports that coaching has been more demanding than he expected: “I’ve found at times coaching maybe a little bit more demanding than I expected.I think when you’re a player, you just see what you do on the court, and you’re not involved in all the conversations with your team that go into each day, about how you’re feeling, or what it is that you’re going to work on, and the strategy and preparations for matches.”

They’ve only been partners for about four months. Murray missed Djokovic’s first tournament of 2025 at the Brisbane International due to a skiing trip, but they practiced ahead of the Australian Open. Now, Murray is courtside for all of Djokovic’s matches. His belief in Novak remains strong. He said, “These next couple of years, I think he maybe already has a legitimate claim to be the best athlete of all time.” However, age is a factor.

Murray hopes Djokovic can overcome his biggest obstacles—Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He has already defeated the latter in the quarters. Now, as they head into the semifinals of the Australian Open with hopes of clinching Djokovic’s 25th Grand Slam title against Alexander Zverev. Will he conquer all and finally take home the title? Share your thoughts in the comments below!